Vehicle data: W210/99 E320/ 5 speed automatic

When parked on an incline. it is rather difficult to move the gear lever from park to reverse/drive. BTW. I recently changed the transmission fluid.

Do I need a swifter selector adjustment? and if so how.

This is an issue with ALL auto trannys in park on an incline.

When placed in park, the vehicle will roll slightly until the park mechanism locks on the "pawl"

When attempting to disengage, the parking mechanism not only has to release from the pawl, but it has to overcome the resistance placed on it by the weight of the vehicle as a result of being on an incline.

So on a level surface, disengaging park is just a gentle "clunk"...on a hill, it's more of a "POW".

Totally normal...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

When parking on a hill put the parking brake on first....then put the shifter into the park position. When leaving, take the shifter out of the park position first, then release the brake. No more problems.............

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1986 560 SEL (159K miles)

The Rockman is exactly right. In fact, you should not rely upon the pawl to hold the car as its primary restraint. That is what the parking brake is for, but especially on the hills you will appreciate it and save yourself all that clunking. You can put the car into park and set the parking brake before you take your foot off of the service brake which most people find becomes intuitive and second nature when you start doing it this way. Then, again, press the service brake and release the parking brake using the service brake to hold the car when you take it out of park...the key is not to allow the car to roll after you have put it into park or before you take it out of park.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

If there is a sidewalk, curb the front tyre into it, then engage the parking brake, then put it into park. Then open the door. then leave. AND THEN.....

That helps alzo.

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1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
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1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD

Bad idea. I once had a roadside call from someone who did that very thing. The driver was unable to turn the ignition key to start the car because the weight of the car was being held by the front wheel jammed against the curb, which caused the steering wheel lock to bind. It was tight enough that I couldn't manually turn the steering wheel enough to relieve the stress. Eventually, I went bumper to bumper with the service truck and pushed enough to get things going again.

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1989 300 SEL that mostly works, but needs TLC

besides, wonder if the rubber may 'deform' to some extent if the tires are very tightly jammed against the curb.

From page 29 of the 2005 California DMV handbook (FWIW ):





PARKING

Parking On A Hill

When you park:

On a sloping driveway, turn the wheels so the car will not roll into the street if the brakes fail.
Headed downhill, turn your front wheels into the curb or toward the side of the road. Set the parking brake.
Headed uphill, turn your front wheels away from the curb and let your vehicle roll back a few inches. The back of the front wheel should gently touch the curb. Set the parking brake.
Headed either uphill or downhill and there is no curb, turn the wheels so the car will roll away from the center of the road if the brakes fail.
Always set your parking brake and leave the vehicle in gear or the “park” position.

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The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

As mentioned, this is to be expected.

The car has a manual Parking Brake for a reason: it is meant to be used each time the car is parked.

Regular use will prevent lockup you have experienced, and may prevent the Parking Brake components from binding due to corrosion.

The Parking Brake can be used to slow or stop if the Service Brakes become inoperative.

Refer to the Owner's Manual...

Don't feel too bad, though, 99% of drivers seem not to use the Parking Brake.

Best Regards,
Jim

Yes, I learned the hard way that in CALIFORNIA you can actually get a TICKET with a stiff fine for not pointing your wheels toward the curb on a hill! My wife and I had an otherwise very pleasant vacation in San Diego which was marred by my rental car getting ticketed for this

Needless to say I tore up the ticket in disgust and after a number of years the SD police gave up trying to collect it from me. So, while I probably have a bench warrant out on me in SD I can't say I want to visit there again anyway.

You would think the Police have better things to do with their time than to ticket rental cars for not pointing their wheels to the curb! Especially since nobody I know from outside CA has ever heard of this silly law. Not good for tourism to ticket tourists. But, like I said, I vote with my wallet and won't ever return.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

. . . which was hillier in some sections than others, I was the only one I could see who ever did this. Golden, CO, where the beer comes from, has some steep pitches near the downtown shopping area, but nobody seemed to understand about turning the wheels. (And I come from the true flat land, SE Louisiana. Weird. . . .)

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* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

I've got to question how the driver got into this situation? If he turned the wheel toward the curb and allowed the vehicle to roll into the curb, prior to shutting off the engine, there is no strain on the steering lock. Then, after shutting off the vehicle, a slight movement of the wheel will cause the lock to engage. However, there should be no more stress on the lock that there would otherwise be on level ground.

So, the reverse of this should also be true. The steering wheel should only need a slight pull, one way or the other for the lock to disengage.

However, if the doofus parked against the curb and turned the wheel into the curb with force (because the tire doesn't want to turn into the curb), then some undue stress could be placed on the steering and the lock may not want to disengage.

I can't see a problem occurring if this procedure is effected properly.

Additionally, I always remain concerned with using the transmission to hold the vehicle on a grade. If the grade is sufficient, the shifting mechanism and linkage is not strong enough to remove the pawl (remember the weight of the vehicle is leaning on it). The linkage fractures and the result is a very expensive repair. Additionally, the vehicle is completely disabled right where it sits. It can't even be loaded on a flatbed without extreme difficulty (the drive wheels won't turn).

First, it was a she, not a he. Second, she was parked facing uphill. Third, she turned the front wheels away from the curb, and then allowed the car to roll backwards until stopped by the curb. I seriously could not move the steering wheel, and I'm not a small guy...nor weak. As I said, I pushed the car (late 80's-early 90's Cadillac Eldorado) with the service truck (Chevy Suburban) far enough to let me turn the key. Then, I gave the driver a short lesson on using the parking brake, which, on this vintage caddy, was a pump-repeatedly-until-set design.

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1989 300 SEL that mostly works, but needs TLC

Yes, you explained the situation above.

I'm trying to come up with the scenario.

How about this:

She turns the wheels away from the curb with her foot on the service brakes. Turns the key off and removes it. Releases the service brake and the vehicle rolls into the curb and jams the lock into the steering mechanism.

I don't see how it's possible any other way. If the tire contacts the curb with the engine running, the problem as stated cannot occur, IMHO.

I don't have an answer on the steering lock debate, except to either get the front wheels close (but not touching the curb) or just being gentle with the roll-in.

WRT the parking brake debate, what I do is shift the car into neutral, set the parking brake, and then release the brake pedal to see if the vehicle moves. If it does, I step on the parking brake some more, until the vehicle stops rolling. THEN I shift into park. This way, there's minimal load on the tranny, and you know the car isn't going to move (short of the parking brake failing, I suppose).

I do this all the time, and it's second nature, even on flat surfaces. ALthough, sometimes I forget to shift into Park.... but the car is usually there when I return.